Crane Revelations REPOST
by katrinachance
Summary: A discovery by Alistair changes everything for the LopezFitzgerald and Crane Families! Reposted and updated 121207
1. Chapter 1

Chapter1

Alistair Crane watched the room of the Crane Mansion where Ethan was changing his daughter Jane. He was glad to see that Theresa wouldn't have any of her children. He was glad that EM was being raised in the Crane Mansion. And he was happy that EM's little sister was there, even though she wasn't a Crane. Then something catches his eye on Jane's left leg. Alistair zooms in and sees a very familiar birthmark on her leg. The Crane Birthmark. He then flipped to a room of the new Lopez-Fitzgerald home where Theresa was getting dressed and on her lower back, he spied something he had never seen before. Theresa bore the Crane Birthmark.

Alistair couldn't believe what he had just seen. Theresa, somehow, was a Crane! "But how?" he asked himself. How could she be a Crane?

He went to his files and pulled out Theresa's thick file and didn't even get far when he saw her birthdate and froze. The biggest clue was staring him in the face. Theresa and his dead daughter Therese Anastasia Crane had the same birthdate.

The revelation hit him at that moment. He realized that somehow, his child, the daughter he wanted more than anything, hadn't died. She wasn't stillborn. She was right in front of him. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald was actually Therese Crane, his youngest daughter!

"Bambi!" he yelled and the buxom blonde came into the room.

"Yes?"

"Call Dr. Saunders at the hospital and tell him to do immediate DNA tests on Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald and on her son Ethan Martin. And get Angelica Minter on the line! I need to talk to her!"

"Yes, Mr. Crane," she said, giving him a flirtatious smile before she left.

Alistair smiled happily back. He felt the blood test on Theresa was a mere formality. She was his daughter. There was no doubt in his mind. But the blood test on EM was necessary. He hoped that it would prove that Julian was not his father. After all, he could stand his beloved daughter raising an out of wedlock child, but not a child of incest.

The intercom buzzed and Alistair hit the button. "Yes?"

"Ms. Minter on line 2 sir," Bambi's voice came through the intercom.

"Thank you," he said before picking up his phone and connecting to line two. "Hello, Angel."

"Hello, love. It's been a long time since I've heard from you," Angelica Minter said.

"Yes, it has. It has been too long. Angel, our little girl isn't dead. She is alive!"

"What? How? We were told…"

"I know, but we were lied to. Our little girl was switched with Martin's child. He and Pilar raised our daughter," Alistair told her.

"Are you sure? I mean, it could be a case of mistaken identity," Angelica said.

"She bears the Crane birthmark on her lower back. There is no doubt in my mind. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald is our daughter Therese Anastasia Crane. I'm having blood tests done so that I have proof for Martin and Pilar. And what's more, we also have grandchildren. Therese already has two children, Ethan Martin and Jane Maria," Alistair tells Angelica happily.

"Oh my god! Our beloved daughter is alive and we are grandparents. Alistair, I'm on the first flight I can get to Harmony," Angelica said.

"I'll meet you at the airport. Hopefully, by then, we'll have all the proof we need to reclaim our daughter," Alistair said.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter2

Three days later, Alistair waited by Gate 20 at the Harmony Airport. He couldn't wait to see Angelica and show her the absolute proof that Theresa was indeed their child. He had gotten the results of the blood test on EM as well and was happy to see that the rare Crane blood came from Theresa alone. Julian was not EM's father. But Alistair knew that the only other candidate was Ethan. But he also realized that with Ethan as EM's biological father and not Julian meant that Julian and Rebecca didn't have a right to seek custody of EM and it also mean that the adoption was illegal. Theresa, or Therese as he hoped she would go by, could reclaim her son within a few days.

Angelica stepped out of the gate and ran into the arms of the man she loved. Even though she was ten years his junior, she loved Alistair with her whole heart and soul.

"Welcome home, Angel," Alistair said as he embraced her tightly.

"Thank you. Is it true? Did the tests prove that she's our daughter?" Angelica asked.

"Yes. And the tests also proved that her eldest, Ethan Martin, is only a Crane through her. Ethan Winthrop is his biological father. Therefore, our daughter can get her son returned to her soon. Her daughter may take a while longer," Alistair explained as they parted.

"That's good news! Our daughter is alive and well, she'll be able to get her son back and soon her daughter. Now we just need to find out who switched our daughter and the real Theresa," Angelica said.

"Are you ready?" Alistair asked.

"Yes. Let's go get our daughter and take her home!" Angelica exclaimed before the two of them got her bags and headed for the limo waiting outside the airport.

* * *

Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald sat in a chair by the window of her room, staring outside with tears rolling down her face. Her daughter and son were both lost to her. Gwen had taken both children away from her. 

She felt so hopeless. After losing the custody case against Gwen and Ethan, she had lost all hope of ever getting her children back.

She felt like she had lost everything. She stood from the chair and closed the curtains. The darkness of the room was welcoming to her fragile soul. She walked over to her bedside table and picked up the small knife. She stared at the blade that shown in the dim light. She wondered if she had the courage to do this. And she knew that there would be no one to stop her. Paloma was out with Kay, her parents had gone on a picnic, and Luis was out with Sheridan trying to get Marty back from Beth.

She turned the blade toward her left wrist and brought it down against it. She quickly slashed the blade across her wrist and watched as the blood flowed out. She switched the blade to her left hand and slashed it across her right wrist. She dropped the knife on the floor and laid on top of her bed and waited for the end to come.

* * *

Fox Crane knocked on the door of the Lopez-Fitzgerald house. He wanted to be there for her when his grandfather told her who she really was. 

He still couldn't believe that Theresa was actually his aunt. He was just a few years old when his grandfather announced that he was going to be a father again.

Katherine recalled that time as well and she said she knew what had happened all those years ago and she wanted to tell Alistair what she knew once Theresa had been told the truth of who she truly was.

When there was no answer, Fox opened the door and began to call out her name until he came upon her bedroom and opened the door.

"Oh my god!" he exclaimed as he saw her laying on the bed with blood surrounding her and ran forward, checking her pulse and breathing a sigh of relief. He then grabbed his cell phone and quickly dialed 911.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter3

Fox sat in the waiting room of the ER of Harmony Hospital waiting for the doctors to come out and tell him how Theresa was.

Alistair, Pilar, Angelica, and Martin rushed into the ER with Paloma, Luis, and Sheridan right behind them. "Fox! How is she?"

"They haven't told me anything yet," Fox said with a sigh.

"What happened?" Angelica asked.

"She slit her wrists. We should've seen this coming. The past few weeks have been rough for her," Fox said.

"If only I had known that she was my child, this would've been different," Alistair said.

Pilar and Martin turned to him at that moment. "She is our daughter!"

"No, Pilar, Martin, she is not!" came Katherine's voice at that moment. "She is Alistair's daughter with Angelica Minter. She was switched at birth with the true Theresa, who was stillborn."

"You knew?" Angelica asked. "You knew and yet you did not tell us!"

"I wanted to tell you for so long. I even tried to get the woman who switched Theresa and Therese to tell you, but she refused. That refusal was what caused her death on the staircase of the Crane Mansion," Katherine explained.

"Rachel caused us to lose our little girl for over 20 years?" Alistair asked.

"Yes. She was jealous of Angelica and how in love the two of you seemed to be. And she hated the fact that I was willing to give you a divorce so you could be with Angelica when I would not grant you one so you could marry her," Katherine explained.

"So you pushed Rachel down the stairs?" Angelica asked.

"Both Sheridan and I were trying to get her to go tell you the truth. We didn't realize we were at the staircase until it was too late. You know very well that Sheridan was looking forward to having a baby sister and when we told her she didn't survive, she was devastated," Katherine explained.

"How come I don't remember this?" Sheridan asked.

"You blocked it out. The fact that you had helped cause the death of your biological mother was a major trauma for you and it caused you to block it out. You even blocked out the fact that she was your mother," Katherine told her.

"So Theresa is actually Therese, my little sister?" Sheridan asked.

"Yes. The blood tests I did a few days ago confirmed it. She is Theresa Anastasia Crane, my youngest child," Alistair said.

"And our little girl is dead," Pilar said, bursting into tears.

"Damn Rachel! How dare she do this to us!" Martin exclaimed, cursing the woman who had stolen his child.

The doctor came out of the ER at that moment and they all turned to face him.

"How is she?" asked Pilar.

"She lost a lot of blood, but thanks to the blood that the Cranes keep on reserve, she will be fine. Right now, she is asleep and we'll be moving her to a room near the psychiatric ward. We feel she will need some help. Most suicide victims do," he said.

"Thank you, doctor. I just have one question. What name did my grandson give you for her?" Alistair asked.

"He told us her name was Therese Crane and that she is his aunt," The doctor said.

Alistair smiled at Fox. "Good. She doesn't know that she is my daughter yet. I will inform her once she awakens."

The doctor nodded at him before asking, "What should I address her as?"

"For now, address her as Miss Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald. That is the name she was raised with," Alistair said.

The doctor nodded and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

ChapterFour

Theresa slept through the night and awoke the next morning to find Alistair sitting beside her bed.

"Alistair, what are you doing here?" Theresa weakly asked.

"Theresa, I have some things I need to tell you," Alistair said seriously.

"What is it?" Theresa asked.

"Theresa, you are not a Lopez-Fitzgerald. You are a Crane. You are my daughter," Alistair told her.

"You're lying!" She exclaimed.

"Theresa, it's true," came Fox's voice from the door way of the room. "There is plenty of proof to show you that you are my aunt, the child of Angelica Minter and Alistair Crane."

"What kind of proof?" Theresa asked.

"I had blood tests done after I noticed something on your lower back. Theresa, you bear the Crane Birthmark. You also have the rare blood of the Crane family. I am thankful that we keep some on reserve because that it what saved your life yesterday," Alistair said.

"How? How did this happen?" Theresa asked.

"Well, my dear, you and the real Theresa were born on the same day. She was stillborn, but she was switched with you. You know who Rachel is, right?"

"Sheridan's biological mother."

"Yes. She was the one who switched the two of you because she was jealous of Angelica and she hated the fact that Katherine was willing to give me a divorce so that I could marry Angelica when Katherine would not do the same thing for Rachel. I think somehow Katherine knew that I would find my true love," Alistair told her.

"So she switched me and the real Theresa thinking that Katherine would still give you the divorce and therefore Rachel could marry you," Theresa deduced.

"Yes. But she was wrong. After your mother left town, Katherine refused to give me a divorce. Then Katherine and Sheridan overheard her talking with the doctor that switched the two of you and tried to get her to tell me the truth about what she did and that was when Rachel met her end," Alistair explained.

"So her death was an accident and you thought that it was planned," Theresa said.

"Yes."

"What is my real name? Is my mother here?" Theresa asked.

"Your real name is Therese Anastasia Crane. And yes, your mother is here. I called her and she came once we discovered that you were our child," Alistair said.

Theresa smiled. "Does this mean you will help me get my children back?"

"Yes, of course. I want both my beloved grandchildren to be raised as Cranes," Alistair said.

"Ethan Martin is your grandchild through both me and Julian," Theresa said.

"I had tests done on him as well. The rare Crane blood comes from you alone. Julian is not his father," Alistair said.

"That means Ethan is his biological father! He's the only other person I know of that could be his father!" Theresa, now Therese, exclaimed.

"Yes, and that means that Julian and Rebecca had no right to take EM away from you. And it also means that the adoption is illegal," Alistair said.

"Then I can get my son back," Theresa said determinedly.

"And we will do whatever it takes to get Jane back to you as well," Fox said as he came up from behind his grandfather.

Therese smiled and then burst into tears as her father and nephew embraced her.


	5. Chapter 5

ChapterFive

Hours later, Therese sat in her hospital bed, reading a magazine as the door to the room opened and both Angelica and Fancy Crane came into the room.

"Hey, aunt Therese!" Fancy greeted her aunt.

"Hello, sweetheart," Angelica greeted her beloved daughter.

"Hi mom! Hi Fancy! Father told you, didn't he?" Therese asked.

"Yes, he did. Mom can hardly believe it. She can't believe that the young woman she kept away from her son is actually her former sister-in-law. She is actually fearful now since she treated you so harshly," Fancy said.

"She should be. Father's got some plans now for anyone who has hurt me," Therese said. "And that includes Gwen and Ethan."

Angelica laughed. "I'm sure he does. And Gwen deserves it. I've already looked into some legal issues in both custody cases and the fact that the judge gave temporary custody to Gwen and Ethan was wrong. Gwen has never been to see a psychiatrist about what happened and the fact that Ethan said that she was given a drug that made her do it was wrong. I had her bloodwork checked and there were no drugs in her system, We plan on presenting that evidence to the judge this time in court and we will do whatever it takes to make suere that you get custody of your daughter and son and if we can actually get that witch committed, it will be well worth it," she said.

"That actually sounds perfect. Gwen in a psychiatric hospital, Ethan with no rights to his children. And there is no way that he could win in court now," Therese said.

"Especially since you are a Crane now," came Julian's voice from the doorway.

"Hello, dear brother. How is that sister-in-law of mine taking the news?" Therese asked.

"She is furious, but she deserves this. For too long, Rebecca has held the power, but now, the power belongs to you, as does Crane," Julian said.

Therese turned to her elder brother in shock. "What! Are you serious!"

"Yes, I am serious. You, once you have gotten a business degree, will be running Crane. Until that time, father and Fox will run the company. Chad will be taking a back seat to the two of them," Julian said.

"That's the way it should be, Julian. Fox should've been raised to be the heir because you know at the time father would not accept an illegitimate heir . Giving Chad a higher position than Fox was wrong, Julian. Fox has worked hard since he came home. Chad, on the other hand, hasn't worked as hard as Fox has and didn't have any experience. Father is doing what you should've done all along," Therese said.

* * *

"Gwennie, you have to help me!" Rebecca screamed up the stairs of the Crane Mansion. 

"Help you do what, mother?" Gwen asked as she came down the stairs.

"You have got to convince Julian to let me stay here! Alistair is kicking me out!" Rebecca shouted.

"Mother, I have enough to worry about! As soon as she can, Therese will be going after the children and Ethan and I have to work hard to retain custody. As a Crane, especially as Alistair's favorite child, she could win without lifting a finger! You know that!" Gwen shouted back.

"But Gwennie…"

"But nothing, mother! Deal with it yourself! I can't help you with this!" Gwen shouted before turning around and ascending the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

ChapterSix

A few weeks later

Therese dressed in a white sundress with a white jacket over the top as she prepared to leave the hospital. Today she was being released and she looked forward to going home.

In the past few weeks, many of her new family members came to visit. She could also see a change in her father's attitude toward the Lopez-Fitzgerald family. Because now he felt a lot of appreciation for the family that raised his daughter.

Angelica and Alistair came into the room at that moment and smiled at their beloved daughter. "Are you ready to go, sweetheart?" Angelica asked.

"Yes, I am. Is Rebecca gone?" Therese asked.

"Yes. We succeeded in getting her to leave the Crane Mansion. Now, if only we could get her to sign those divorce papers without taking Julian for everything he has," Alistair said.

"She won't be getting a cent from the Crane fortune. There is a way to get her to sign those papers without exhorting any money from us. We just have to find a way to accomplish it," Therese said.

"You know, my dear, you are right. We have never really looked into her past. There may be something that we can use against her," Alistair said.

"And what about the reveal that Sam was Ethan's father? I have a feeling that both Gwen and Rebecca were behind it. If that is true, we could use that against her," Therese said.

"I shall search my disks and I will see if they did. If they did, they will pay for it and it may get us out of giving that woman any money," Alistair said.

"Hopefully. Now, let's go. I want to go home," Therese said.

"Then let's get you home," Angelica said, the three of them walking out of the room.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the three of them pulled up in front of the Crane Mansion. Therese gazed up at her home. She had lived here twice before, and now it was her permanent home. 

Alistair, Angelica, and Therese got out of the limo and walked into the mansion to see men moving boxes and furniture up the stairs.

"Father, what is going on?" Therese asked.

"Your mother and I have a very special surprise for you," Alistair said before he and Angelica guided their daughter up the stairs and guided her to her new home.

"Oh my god! Father, you didn't have to do this!" Therese exclaimed as she began to look at the special apartment that Alistair had constructed years before within the Crane Mansion.

"Yes, my dear, I did. I have over twenty years of gifts to give you and this helps me catch up on those," Alistair said.

"And it was my idea as well. You deserve your own place, even if it is in the place where your archenemy lives," Angelica said.

"Thank you! This is beautiful!" Theresa exclaimed.

"And soon, it will be you and your children, our beloved grandchildren, living here and Gwen will be gone," Angelica said.


	7. Chapter 7

ChapterSeven

The Next Day

Therese walked down the stairs of the mansion for brunch. She took a deep breath before entering the parlor of the mansion. A delicious spread of food was laid out for brunch and Julian, Katherine, Alistair, and Angelica were sitting around the room.

"Good morning, my dear sister. How did you sleep?" Julian asked.

"I slept well. I slept very well knowing that my children were right down the hall from me and that they soon would be back with me," Therese said.

"Yes, they will. You will have EM back soon, in fact, you may have him back by the end of the day," Alistair said.

"You called up one of the judges, didn't you?" Therese asked.

"Yes, I did. Judge Evelyn Saunders has always been a good friend of mine and your mother's for a long time. She understands the need for a hearing about custody of both children. She is going to check out the judges that gave custody to Ethan and Gwen and she will see if anything illegal was done by those judges in both cases and if she finds that anything illegal was done, you will get custody of both children returned to you," Alistair said.

"She told us she'd call once she was done with her investigation and would call us and Gwen and Ethan into court and give us her decision, which will be the return of your son and daughter to you," Angelica said.

"That's good. I can't wait until my children are living with me in my apartment and Ethan and Gwen are kicked out of this house and out of Harmony forever," Therese said.

"I will drink to that. Good morning, little sister," Sheridan greeted as she came into the room.

"Good morning, Sher. Did you wear out Luis last night?" Therese asked.

"Yes, I did. Thank you so much for that little tip. Got him in the mood in no time," Sheridan said.

"Good. Just do that every time and Luis will do whatever you want," Therese said.

"Too bad Rebecca didn't know this little trick to use with Jonathan," Sheridan said.

"It wouldn't have helped. Jonathan still would've divorced her," Julian said, knowing that the man his sister was referring to was Jonathan Hotchkiss, Rebecca's ex-husband and Gwen's father.

"Yeah. He could see that she was no more than a gold digger that was trying to become rich. She tried to get a major settlement out of him, but she didn't get a cent out of him when they divorced, all because of her adulterous affairs," Angelica said.

"That should work this time as well. That witch has had other affairs other than having wild sex with you, Julian," Therese said.

"We can only hope that it will work," Julian said.

"It will work. And plus, I have all the evidence of all the times she schemed against you, my dear. She may get a settlement, but a small one to get her out of this family and out of Harmony," Alistair said.

"I hope so. Either she takes the settlement or she goes to jail for embezzlement and for kidnapping," Angelica said.


	8. Chapter 8

ChapterEight

Later that Day

Therese sat at her desk in her apartment working on some designs when Alistair knocked on the door.

Therese got up and opened the door. She liked the fact that he was respecting her privacy. "Hello, Father. Did the judge call?"

"Yes, she did. She wants us in court tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. Tomorrow, at least, you will have your son back. Maybe you will get your daughter back as well," Alistair said.

"I can't wait. Right now, getting Ethan Martin back would be a major victory against Ethan and Gwen," Therese said.

"Well, she told me that there is something in Gwen's past that will definitely work against her. And she found proof of bribery of the judges in both custody cases. We have enough proof, thanks to her, to add a charge or bribery to any charges that could be brought against Rebecca if she doesn't accept the settlement," Alistair said.

"That sounds good. One way or another, she will be out of this family one way or another. We will be free of her," Therese said with a smile.

* * *

Next Morning 

Therese dressed in a gray dress suit as she prepared for a day in court. She was so ready to come back to the mansion with both of her children living with her.

She could hear the screeching down the hall coming from Ethan and Gwen's room. She laughed at what she could hear of the argument that was going on between Gwen and Ethan.

"I can't believe that she thinks that she can still win against me. I'm a Crane now. Hasn't she learned anything? You can't win against a Crane," Therese said before leaving her room and heading downstairs to where Julian and Alistair were waiting for her.

"Where is mother this morning? I thought she'd be waiting with you," Therese wondered to her father and brother.

"She's speaking with her sister, your aunt Megan, right now. She and her husband might be coming to Harmony for a visit soon," Alistair said.

"I'd like that. Will she be coming soon? Do I have any cousins through her?" Therese asked.

"I believe she will be here in a few weeks. And I know Megan and your uncle Thomas Winters have two children, Augusta Winters-Alcott and Michael Winters. Both are married and each has two children. Augusta and her husband Alexander Alcott have two daughters, Bethany and Justine, and Michael and his wife Jacqueline Whitestone-Winters have a son and daughter, Josiah and Ceara," Alistair told her.

"All of them will be here in two weeks and Thomas said he wants Gwen and Ethan to be gone by then because he says he doesn't want the pretender to the Hotchkiss fortune anywhere near his beloved niece," Angelica said as she came into the foyer. "Now, let's get going before Gwen and Ethan come downstairs. They can find their own way to the courthouse."

The four of them walked outside and got into the awaiting limo which escorted them to the Harmony Courthouse.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you, everyone, for the excellent reviews! I am glad that everyone is enjoying the story.

Here's chapter nine and ten. Please read and review!

Chapter Nine

The four of them arrived outside the courthouse and walked up to the courtroom and sat on their side of the room where Alistair's lawyer was waiting. Therese sat beside him as they awaited the arrival of Gwen and Ethan.

Both of them entered the courtroom minutes later with Rebecca right behind them, scowling at the fact that they had been called into court.

Therese smiled slightly at the three of them. She knew that today that those scowls were going to disappear very soon and the three of them would be run out of Harmony.

Ivy and Eve both came in a moment later. Eve took her seat right beside Julian while Ivy sat beside Angelica. The women had been good friends for years and Ivy had gotten called the night before by Angelica once Alistair had looked through his disks and found all the proof he needed to bring down both Hotchkiss women.

A few minutes past and Angelica and Ivy spoke about what Alistair had found. And as much as she wanted to support her son, she now couldn't stand sitting with the two women that had ruined Ethan's life and hers as well. Ivy turned and shot both women an evil look.

Another few minutes past before the bailiff walked into the courtroom. "All Rise!"

They all rose before the bailiff spoke again. "Harmony family court is now in session. Judge Evelyn Saunders presiding."

"Be seated," Judge Evelyn Saunders said as she sat down in her chair.

They took their seats again. The judge spoke at that moment. "Mr. and Mrs. Winthrop, you have been called her for this hearing because an investigation into the original custody hearings for Ethan Martin Crane and Jane Maria Crane point out a great many illegalities with both cases.

"First of all, the adoption of Ethan Martin was illegal since Rebecca and Julian Crane did not have any legal rights to allow Ethan Martin to be adopted as well as having no legal rights to seek custody of the child from his mother Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, now known as Therese Crane.

"As for temporary custody of Jane Maria, there are illegalities here too. The only person that is a danger to that child, Mr. Winthrop, is your wife, especially after what she did to Ms. Crane."

"Your honor, my wife was under the influence of a powerful drug that made her act that way," Ethan said.

"Mr. Winthrop, that is false. Your wife was not given any drugs. Her bloodwork at the time of the incident was checked and there were no drugs in her system. As for you being told that there was, that was told to you by Eve Russell because she had been bribed by Rebecca Crane to say so, so that you would get custody.

"In both custody cases, she also bribed the judges so you would win custody of both children.

"Due to these illegalities, I have no choice but to remove both children from your custody, revoke your custodial rights, and restore custody of both children to their mother Therese Crane.

"As for any parental rights, Mr. Winthrop, you are hereby denied any visitation rights for both Ethan Martin Crane and Jane Maria Crane.

"Charges of assault and attempted murder for Mrs. Winthrop have been refilled since you had no right to have the charges dropped. The kidnapping charges have been doubled due to the fact that you did not have legal custody of either child. Kidnapping charges have also been filed against you, Mr. Winthrop, as well as Mrs. Crane as well as bribery charges against Mrs. Crane.

"Court is adjourned!" the judge finished before the bailiff announced, "All rise!"


	10. Chapter 10

ChapterTen

Gwen launched out her chair and ran right towards Therese. Before she could reach her, Ivy stepped between both women and pushed Gwen away.

"You are not taking away my children, Therese! I won't let you!" Gwen shouted, trying to get around Ivy.

Ivy, however, wasn't budging. "Those children are Therese's children, not yours! They will never be yours, you lying bitch! You never should've had them!"

"Ivy, you should be on our side. She may be your former sister-in-law, but she betrayed you!" Gwen exclaimed.

"No, she did not! You and your lying slut of a mother betrayed me!" Ivy shouted.

Therese touched Ivy's shoulder. "Ivy, let's take this back to the mansion. It's better if everyone sees the truth."

Ivy calmed down and nodded in an instant. "You are right. I need to see the proof myself. I am not sure I should believe Alistair until I see the proof for myself," she said.

They all left the courtroom and headed out to the limos and cars that they had taken to the courthouse and headed to the mansion.

Therese sighed as they drove away from the courthouse. Soon, Rebecca and Gwen would be gone and she would finally have what she wanted. Everything except Ethan of course. She didn't want to have anything to do with that jerk who couldn't even be strong enough to stand up to his bitch of a wife and cow of a mother-in-law.

Minutes later, they all arrived at the mansion and they walked into the living room where Fox, Whitney, and Chad were waiting for them.

Phyllis came into the room a moment later and Therese turned to her. "Phyllis, could you please move Ethan Martin and Jane's things from their current rooms into the rooms of my apartment?"

"Of course, Therese. Congratulations!" Phyllis said before turning around and heading up the stairs to do as her young mistress had asked.

Fancy came into the room a moment later and the set was almost complete a instant later when Katherine came into the room. In her hand she held signed divorce papers. As she had years before, she was willing to give Alistair a divorce so Angelica could marry him. That way, Therese would actually be a legitimate Crane.

Beth, for some reason, walked in a moment later, with Sheridan and Luis following quickly behind her. They took a seat on the sofa and Fox took it as his cue to begin.

"Well, everyone, welcome to our little movie screening. Everyone that has ever done anything to a member of the Crane family will pay for it today," Fox said in introduction.

Gwen and Rebecca exchanged a look before Fancy took up the speech. "Of course, there is one person in this room, a bit of a new Crane, that will pay for what they did to their sibling."

Beth shook slightly as she looked over to Luis and Sheridan, but hoped that it wasn't her that Fancy was talking about.

"Of course, we are doing this solely to get justice for our family, including our dear aunt Therese Anastasia Crane," Fox said with a smile looking over to where Therese sat beside Alistair.

* * *

Next time on Crane Revelations:

Rebecca, Gwen, and Beth get what they truly deserve in more ways than one!

Ethan and Ivy cut ties with Gwen and Rebecca and find out a truth they didn't know!

Read and Review!


	11. Chapter 11

To all my reviewers, thank you for the great reviews! You are the best!

And without further delay, hereare chapters eleven and twelve.

Chapter Eleven

"We will begin with the moment that she was harmed for the very first time. The day that she was blamed for Ethan's paternity coming out. We now know the truth. She was not to blame for it at all," Fox said.

"The people we blame are none other than Gwen and Rebecca, for we have seen all the proof we need to see. And now, you shall all see." Fancy said as she pressed the play button on the DVD player and Alistair's disk played, showing Rebecca and Gwen doing their dirty deed.

Ivy's anger at the two women grew as she watched the DVD. She still could not believe that all along she had believed those two lying bitches, when they had been the ones who had ruined her life and Ethan's as well.

Ethan angrily turned to his wife and mother-in-law. "How could you do this! I can't believe that you would actually do something like this! And to put the blame on Therese when…That's why you did it! You wanted to split us up!"

"And it worked! That is once we got the tabloid to print that it was Therese who had revealed it!" Gwen exclaimed.

"It worked until now, you mean! That was what got me on your side for these past few years, until Angelica told me what you had done! You were the ones who ruined my life as well as Ethan's! You made me turn against the young woman who actually was my sister-in-law! I can't believe I sided with you for so long!" Ivy yelled from her chair.

"I know that you got everything you wanted for a time, Gwen, but no more. You did everything you could to discredit my daughter in everyone's eyes and you will pay for it," Alistair said.

"The name Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald is off the blacklist, but the names Rebecca Hotchkiss-Crane, Gwen Hotchkiss-Winthrop, and Ethan Winthrop have been added. Everyone knows that you don't betray the Cranes, especially the long-lost daughter of Alistair and his true love Angelica Minter," Fancy said

"Especially since that daughter will be the head of Crane industries once she gets her business degree. She will be head of one of the biggest companies in the world," Fox said. "I am sorry, Ethan, but you brought this upon yourself when you chose Gwen all those years ago."

Ethan nodded before he got up from beside Gwen and walked over to where his mother was sitting. He stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Gwen, this farce of a marriage is over. You will leave Harmony behind. I never want to see you or your slut of a mother in this town or wherever I end up again," he said.

"Ethan, I did it all for you! I love you!" Gwen cried.

"You did not do this for me! You did this for yourself! You just could not stand losing to Therese! You could not let us be together because she was the housekeeper's daughter! But you never won because my heart belongs to Therese now and forever!" Ethan shouted back at her.

Therese smiled from her chair. Gwen was finally getting what she deserved. She was blacklisted as well as about to be arrested for numerous charges, as was Rebecca.


	12. Chapter 12

ChapterTwelve

Fox smiled at the things his to-be-ex-sister-in-law and brother had just said. Gwen was finally getting what she deserved.

"There is much more. Gwen did more than just ruin Ethan's life. She, in all essence, killed his second born child back in LA," Chad said.

"Therese killed Sarah!" Gwen shouted.

"No, she did not! You killed Sarah and you shall see, as will everyone, exactly what happened that day," Fancy said as she continued to play the DVD, which showed Gwen entering the Crane apartment and attacking Therese. Everyone watched in disbelief as Gwen refused help and then the disbelief turned to shock as Therese pulled away to get help and Gwen fell over the balcony.

Silence reigned for a few minutes before Ivy rose from her chair, walked over to Gwen, and slapped her. "You bitch! You killed my eldest granddaughter! You refused help from Therese when you went into labor! You didn't care about Sarah at all!" she yelled at Gwen.

Ethan came over to lead his mother back to her chair when Gwen shouted out, "I car about Sarah!"

"Of course you did! But you didn't care enough to put her before everything else! Confronting Therese was more important to you1" Ethan shouted before he led his mother back to her chair.

Ivy sat down and took a deep breath. Then she spoke. "Ethan is right, Gwen. Confronting Therese was more important to you than your child. Sarah was your child and she should have been the most important thing to you. Sarah was no more than a tool to you that you used continually to hold on to my son, but now, that time is over."

"My mother is right! Your days of holding Sarah's death over my head are over!" Ethan exclaimed.

Fox spoke up at that moment. "Enough! There is more we need to reveal. This reveal is meant to gain vindication for my other beloved aunt, Sheridan."

"Beth, did you think that you could ever get away with what you did?" Fancy asked.

"Yes, Beth. By blood, you may be a Crane child, but an illegitimate one. And the only reason that grandfather helped you with what you did was because he didn't know the truth about what happened to Sheridan's biological mother until now," Fox said.

Fancy smiled before pressing the play button and the video showed the truth about Beth's kidnapping of Sheridan to everyone in the room and everyone' anger over the truth boils to the surface.

"How could you do this to my nephew! To my sister! You are not a sister of mine!" Julian shouted at Beth.

"Julian is right, Beth. Now I know you figured that having a baby with Luis meant that you would have him forever. Well, my dear, you were wrong!" Therese exclaimed.

Beth rose from her seat and ran for the door. She quickly stopped when she saw Sam, his arms crossed, handcuffs hanging in his right hand, blocking her route.

Beth turned to run, but both Therese and Julian blocked her way. "You are not going anywhere, Beth. You are going to pay for what you did to Sheridan and Marty," Therese said.

Sam cuffed Beth, read her her rights, and lead her out of the Crane Mansion.

Other officers came into the room and also arrested Gwen and Rebecca and took them away. Ethan assured his father that he would come by the jail later to pay his bail to remain a free man.


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you everyone for the great reviews! And Laurie-Lee, please, update your story Time to Let Go!

Four chapters up for all of you. Read and Review!

Chapter Thirteen

Ivy approached Therese with a smile of apology on her face. "Therese, I am so sorry for turning against you like that. I should have never believed those two witches."

"You are forgiven, Ivy, because they had everyone snowed. Everyone except me. I wish I could've done something to stop them and their plans against me, but they hid their true colors too well with everyone else," Therese said.

"And they convinced me that it was best. But they were so wrong. It was not the best for Ethan at all," Ivy said.

"It doesn't matter now, Ivy. I have my children back and Gwen and Rebecca will pay for everything they have done," Therese said.

Ivy nodded. Then something Chad said earlier caused her to ask, "What did Chad mean in saying Sarah was Ethan's second child?"

"Sarah was Ethan's first daughter, but his second child. Ethan Martin is his first born child. Father did the DNA tests back when he found out that I was his child. He didn't want his beloved daughter raising a child of incest, but he could stand me raising an illegitimate child or children as I have both EM and Jane," Therese explained.

"EM is my grandson! Oh my god! If those witches hadn't done this, we would've known that he was Ethan's eldest child. Does Ethan know?" Ivy asked.

"Yes, he does. But for now, he will have no contact with them until he pays for listening and doing what those witches wanted him to do for what they thought they deserved when they deserved nothing," Therese said.

"I understand. But still, I think you should let him see them at least one more time before he goes to jail for kidnapping," Ivy said.

"I will. Tell him to come by later today and he can see them. Otherwise, he can't see them until he pays for his crimes," Therese said before she walked out of the room and up to her apartment.

Ivy turned and looked around the room at those who still remained. Alistair and Angelica were sitting on the couch, talking quietly, their revenge on almost all those who had hurt their daughter and her two elder legitimate siblings complete.

Across the room, Sheridan and Luis were having an argument about how gullible he was. Luis was trying hard to defend himself, but Sheridan wasn't letting him off in the least.

Julian, Fox, and Chad were over in the corner, the three of them acting like a regular dad acts with his sons. Ivy laughed at it.

Another laugh was heard from behind her and Ivy turned to see Fancy and Ethan laughing as well at the antics of the three men.

"Can you believe the way those three are acting right now?" Ethan asked in between laughs.

"It is a joy to see them acting like a normal father and his sons. Hell, they got justice for a certain member of their family that deserved it. Therese had been hurt for much too long. Fox and Chad always defended her and they are now vindicated," Ivy said.

"True. Eth, you'd better go get your things packed. You know that you can't stay here. There is no way that Therese or Alistair will want you here," Fancy said.

Ethan nodded and then left he room and headed upstairs to his and Gwen's old room to pack his things and begin his new life.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Therese walked into her apartment and listened to the bustling downt he hall where the servants were unpacking her children's things. She smiled as she heard little Ethan's voice coming from down the hall and the cooing sounds coming from Jane's room. She walked down the hall and stopped in the doorway of EM's room and watched him sitting in a plush chair with his nanny as she read him a story. She walked further and peered into Jane's room and saw her beautiful little girl sitting in her crib, looking around her new room until she caught sight of her mother in the doorway.

"Mamamamama!" Jane called out, holding her arms out to be picked up.

"Someone definitely knows who her mommy is," Therese said as she walked up to the crib and picked up her daughter.

Jane quickly cuddled up to her mother's shoulder as Therese walked out of the room and walked into the newly furnished playroom and sat down in a rocking chair near the window and began to rock and hum a lullaby which quickly caused Jane to fall asleep against her mother's shoulder.

* * *

Harmony Jail

One at a time, Gwen, Rebecca, and Beth are lead to their cells and this time the command from Alistair was to be followed. A empty cell was between each woman and they were not allowed any visitors unless it was Ethan or their lawyers.

The only thing that Gwen disliked about this arrangement was the fact that Beth was in the cell two cells away from her and Rebecca was two cells beyond Beth.

"That should keep you two from scheming to break out or to get what you believe is revenge, when all it has been was nothing more than taking something away from the one person who never did anything to you, no matter what you believed," Sam said as he placed Beth in between the two Hotchkiss women,

Beth walked to her cot and laid down upon it. She sighed sadly. "I can't believe that I am in this position. I thought I would have Luis with me forever and he, Marty, and I would be a family."

"Ethan, EM, Jane and I were a family until Therese interfered. That was my family!" Gwen exclaimed.

"You and I both had plans for what we wanted, for what we both thought we deserved in our lives, but Alistair made sure that we didn't get it. He showed us that we didn't deserve it," Beth said.

"Yes, we did! We deserved those lives!" Gwen shouted, turning and looking directly at Beth. "We deserved those lives more than Sheridan and Therese ever did!"

"Think about it, Gwen. If you hadn't listened to your mother, you would have gotten on with your life. You would've found someone else, your true soulmate, you would've had a different life," Beth reasoned.

"That is not true!" Rebecca screamed from her cell.

Beth turned and scowled at Rebecca. "Shut up, Rebecca. You don't know what your daughter would do!"

"She is right, mother. Until you showed up in town, I would've gotten on with my life. I may have had children with someone else and I wouldn't have lost my ability to have children," Gwen said. "But I still wanted Ethan and I probably wouldn't have given up until I actually saw that he was happy with Therese."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Weeks later

Therese made sure that her hair was perfect. Today was a very happy day. Today, Sheridan and Luis, and Alistair and Angelica were getting married. The divorce of Alistair and Katherine had been granted and finalized, so now Alistair had quickly planned a beautiful double wedding ceremony at St. Margaret Mary's. Therese couldn't wait. She was so happy for her parents and for her half-sister as well.

She walked out of her room and walked down the hall and stopped in her son's doorway where one of the servants had helped him get dressed in a grey suit.

EM looked up at his mother and smiled happily. He was so glad that he and his little sister were with their mother where they belonged. He was glad that they didn't have to be around Gwen anymore. "Hi mommy!"

"Well, hello, handsome. Don't you look like a handsome little Crane!" Therese exclaimed.

"Will grandpa Alistair like it?" EM asked.

Therese nodded at her son. She smiled at the fact that EM had adjusted to calling Both Alistair and Angelica grandpa and grandma. And he had also adjusted to the fact that Fox was now his cousin, not his older brother.

"Yes, grandpa should like it. He chose it for you, remember?" Therese asked her son.

"Yeah. Is it time to go?"

"Almost. I just have to get Jane and then we can go," Therese said.

The two of them walked down the hall and walked into Jane's room, where Jane sat in her playpen, dressed in a cute yellow dress trimmed with lace. Her shoes were white and shone in the light of the room.

"She's ready, mommy," EM said before Therese lifted her daughter from her playpen.

"Yep. Let's go. Uncle Julian is probably waiting for us downstairs," Therese said as they walked out of the room.

* * *

An hour later

Therese stood at the front of the church, waiting for her mother and grandfather to make their way to the altar as the music they had selected played. Sheridan was right behind her on Julian's arm. Both women were glowing and smiling as they made their way to their happy grooms.

Therese had been excited to meet her grandfather. She didn't realize that he was alive until she arrived at the church and saw him there. Alexander Minter was overjoyed to meet his granddaughter and great-grandchildren. Ethan Martin smiled from beside his uncle and grandfather at his grandmother and great-grandfather. He was so happy to meet his great-grandfather, as well as his cousins, his great-aunts and great-uncles who had all come for the wedding.

Alexander and Angelica made it to the altar. Alistair took his beloved bride's hand and they turned toward Father Lonigan, who began the ceremony once Sheridan and Luis had also joined hands.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered her to join our brothers and sisters, Alistair and Angelica and Luis and Sheridan in holy matrimony.

"These two couples have been through a lot of strife as their love grew through the years. Both couples have finally gotten their chance at happiness."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"Alistair, repeat after me. I, Alistair Andrew Crane…"

"I Alistair Andrew Crane …"

"Take thee, Angelica Marie Minter…"

"Take thee, Angelica Marie Minter …"

"For my lawful wedded wife…"

"For my lawful wedded wife…"

"To have and to hold from this day forward…"

"To have and to hold from this day forward…"

"For better, for worse…"

"For better, for worse…"

"For richer, for poorer…"

"For richer, for poorer…"

"In sickness and in health…"

"In sickness and in health…"

"To love and to cherish…"

"To love and to cherish…"

"Till death do us part…"

"Till death do us part…"

"And thereto, unto thee, I pledge my troth."

"And thereto, unto thee, I pledge my troth.".

"Angelica, repeat after me. I, Angelica Marie Minter…"

"I, Angelica Marie Minter, take thee, Alistair Andrew Crane, for my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, For better, for worse, For richer, for poorer, In sickness and in health, To love and to cherish, Till death do us part, And thereto, unto thee, I pledge my troth," Angelica said, causing everyone in the church to laugh. She had managed to memorize her vows beforehand.

Father Lonigan turned toward Luis and Sheridan and nodded.

Luis turned to face the woman he loved and said his vows. "I, Luis Ian Lopez-Fitzgerald, take thee, Sheridan Marina Crane, for my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, For better, for worse, For richer, for poorer, In sickness and in health, To love and to cherish, Till death do us part, And thereto, unto thee, I pledge my troth," he said with a smiled.

Sheridan smiled and said her vows. "I, Sheridan Marina Crane, take thee, Luis Ian Lopez-Fitzgerald, for my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, For better, for worse, For richer, for poorer, In sickness and in health, To love and to cherish, Till death do us part, And thereto, unto thee, I pledge my troth."

"The rings," Father Lonigan requested.

"EM raised the pillow and Julian took all four rings and placed them on the bible. Father Lonigan blessed them, then held the bible out to Alistair and he did not hesitate in placing the ring on Angelica's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed, in token and pledge, of my constant faith and abiding love."

Angelica didn't hesitate and placed the ring on Alistair's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed, in token and pledge, of my constant faith and abiding love."

Luis went next and placed the ring on Sheridan's finger with a smile. "With this ring, I thee wed, in token and pledge, of my constant faith and abiding love."

Sheridan smiled as she took the last ring and placed it on Luis's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed, in token and pledge, of my constant faith and abiding love."

"By the power invested in my by the state of Maine, I now pronounce them as man and wife. What got has joined together, let no man put asunder. Gentlemen, you may kiss your brides," Father Lonigan said.

Alistair and Angelica passionately kissed , as did Luis and Sheridan. They parted and both couples faced the congregation. "May I present Mr. and Mrs. Alistair and Angelica Crane, and Mr. and Mrs. Luis and Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald!"

Both couples made their way down the aisle as wishes of happiness are shared with family and friends.


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry it took so long for me to update, but between work and school I've been very busy.

Thank you to all my reviewers and readers! You make this all worthwhile.

And without further delay, here are the next three chapters for your enjoyment.

Read and review.

Chapter Seventeen

The reception was held in the ballroom of the Crane Mansion. Family and friends gathered there to celebrate the two marriages.

Fox smiled at his grandfather and his new stepgrandmother. He had never seen his grandfather that happy. He was so happy for them. He took his eyes off of them and turned toward the corner where Therese was taking with a young man who was as snobby as could be. Of course, Fox knew him from his boarding school days.

Fox walked over to the corner and rescued his aunt from the man and Therese breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Fox. If I heard him talk about how much money he is worth one more time, I would've screamed," she said.

"No problem. Adam Carmichael has always been like that," Fox said. "He used to say those same things to the girls at boarding school."

"No wonder he's still single. No woman in her right mind would marry a man like that unless she was a gold digger like Rebecca," Therese said.

"Adam would definitely attract someone like that, but his mother would never let that happen," Fox said.

"I'm sure she would try to prevent it, but she could still have someone go after Adam hiding the fact that they are a gold digger behind a façade. It has happened that way before," Therese said.

"True. But Abigail actually makes sure that it can't happen. She has private investigators check out the background of every young woman who has ever pursued Adam and has been able to stop five young women who only wanted Adam for the money. She is a tough woman," Fox said.

"She sounds like it. Mother has mentioned Abigail Carmichael quite a bit in the past few weeks. They have been good friends for years," Therese said.

"She and Ivy were friends when I was younger. Now Abigail considers Ivy as a gold digger even though the Winthrops were wealthy," Fox said.

Therese looked around at that moment and couldn't see Whitney anywhere. "Where is Whitney? I thought she was here."

"I have no idea. She was here, but now I don't see her," Fox said.

"I know where she is," Came Fancy's voice from behind them. "She's upstairs with Chad and Miles. He convinced her to go up and feed Miles."

"Maybe he can convince her to take her son back from him. I told her giving up Miles was wrong without consulting Fox," Therese said.

"She's keeping a secret from us. We have to find out what it is," Fancy said.

"What could she be keeping from us, sis?" Fox asked.

"I really don't know. But she seems like she's hiding something all the time," Fancy said.

"Father probably knows what it is. You could always ask him to find out for you," Therese said.

"You are right, aunt Therese. Grandfather does probably know the secret that Whitney is hiding from us. I'll ask him," Fancy said.

"You'd better ask him before he and mother leave on their honeymoon or else you will have to wait for a few weeks to ask him," Therese said.

"I'll ask him when I get my dance with him," Fancy said.

Therese nodded. She knew that her beloved niece would be determined to find out the secret that Whitney was hiding from them.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

The reception continued on for hours until it was getting near midnight. Fancy had gotten her dance with her grandfather and he couldn't tell her much, but told her to check his disks. Somewhere on those disks was Whitney's secret.

Therese had happily danced with her father and Julian had danced with his new stepmother. Julian was happy that Angelica and Alistair had married. He loved that Angelica was his stepmother. A stepmother that had helped free him from Rebecca. The divorce papers had been filed and no settlement was given, especially since Rebecca would probably be in jail for the rest of her life. Rebecca had gone through a bail hearing and was denied bail, as was Gwen and Beth. All three women were in the Harmony Jail, awaiting their trials.

Julian had danced with both his sisters as well. He was so happy for Sheridan. He knew that she and Luis belonged together and he was happy that they had their son back. Marty was a wonderful little boy and Julian loved to spend time with his nephew.

Julian wished his younger sister could find the man who would treat her right, the man who loved her for who she was, not for the Crane name. For the longest time, she had been so hung up on Ethan and it took two life and death experiences to realize that he was not worth it. Now her life was filled with her children and the rest of her family and soon she would be starting school so that she could one day take over Crane.

Julian watches as Luis asks Therese to dance and Sheridan does the same with Fox. Julian smiled at the sight. Both of them were about to get a talking to.

* * *

"How is everything going for my wonderful sister-in-law?" Luis asked as he danced with Therese.

"Everything is going good. Weird, isn't it? For years, we thought that we were siblings and now I am your sister-in-law," Therese said.

"It is weird. But still, Jane and Ethan are my niece and nephew, even though it's now through marriage," Luis said.

"Ethan Martin has requested that you come and play with him once you get back from your honeymoon," Therese informed him.

"Tell him I will take him to the park for a game of football as soon as we get back from our trip to Ireland," Luis said.

"No problem. Are you guys going to leave Marty with Pilar?"

"No. Sam and Ivy will have him at their place. I still can't believe that the two of them reconciled," Luis said.

"All it took was a major admission of some other things she did in the name of love and she was the one who admitted it. And it didn't seem to matter to Sam that Grace didn't care that Ivy destroyed their marriage. And Sam knew that true love was truly there between the two of the, so they decided that they might as well give their relationship another try," Therese said.

"Maybe it will work out this time. I hope it will," Luis said.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"Well, Fox. How is everything going with you, Whitney and Miles?" Sheridan asked her nephew.

"Everything is going well, except for times when Whitney acts like she's hiding something. Fancy is determined to find out what she could be hiding," Fox told her as they danced.

"What could she be hiding?" Sheridan asked.

"I have no clue. But I have a feeling that it has to do with Chad," Fox said. "But as to what it is, I have no idea."

"I'm sure that whatever it is, Fancy will find out. And knowing Fancy, she will ask Therese for help." Then Sheridan changes the subject. "How are you doing with Therese being your aunt?"

"It's actually nice having her as my aunt because I can spend more time with her now. And it's great that she'll be running Crane once she gets her degree."

"No resentment toward her?" Sheridan asked, remembering how he felt when Chad was given the job he was working toward.

"Not really. There is a little there, but the happiness I see in her is overwhelming to where it doesn't matter. All I've ever wanted was for her to be happy," Fox said.

"And I am sure she wants the same thing for you."

* * *

The party went late into the night before both couples, among family and friends blowing bubbles, left the mansion and climbed into separate limos and headed off for the airport. Alistair and Angelica were going to Italy for their honeymoon while Luis and Sheridan were going to Ireland and Spain.

Within an hour, only Fox, Fancy, and Therese remained in the ballroom. All three were helping the servants clean up the mess that the wedding dance had spread around the room.

"Well, when do the two of you want to start searching for whatever Whitney is hiding?" Fancy asked.

"Are you sure that she's hiding anything at all?" Fox asked.

"Yes. She is hiding something from us. And we need to find out what it is," Fancy said.

"What about you, Therese?" Fox asked his aunt.

"She's definitely worried about something, Fox. I know she gets worried when she's keeping some sort of secret," Therese said.

Fox knew that Whitney had been acting strange for a while now and he could see what his aunt meant. Whitney had some sort of secret she was keeping from him.

"You are right. Let's start first thing in the morning so that we can look through as much as we can," he said.

"Meet in father's office here around nine o'clock and we can start searching through his disks, since he gave us free reign," Therese said.

"More like he gave you and Fancy free reign, Therese. I'm just tagging along for the ride," Fox said.

The girls laughed. Therese was glad to be on better terms with her nephew. The friendship they had before was reborn as a close relationship between aunt and nephew.


	20. Chapter 20

Thank you everyone for the great reviews and the addition to your alerts! I'm glad I still have my readers. I'm just sorry these took so long.

Here are the next two parts for your enjoyment!

Chapter Twenty

Therese got an early start the next day, arriving at her father's office before her niece and nephew and began to search through her father's recent disks, wanting to find out whatever her former best friend was hiding from Fox.

Fox arrived on time but was blocked by an adorable little girl sitting in the doorway. "Good morning Jane," he said, picking up his little cousin up and tickling her. Her giggles filled the room and had both her cousin and mother smiling.

"You're really good with her, Fox," Therese said.

"It comes naturally with Jane. Miles isn't this easy," Fox said. "How long have you been here?"

"About fifteen minutes. I've pinpointed a few disks. But I haven't watched them yet. I wanted to wait for you and Fancy before I started looking through them," Therese said.

"Fancy may be a little late. She had a long night," Fox said with a sly smile.

Therese grinned wickedly. "She and Noah, right?"

Fox shared her grin. "Yep. I am so happy that they got a second chance at love."

"So am I," Therese said.

A moment later, both Fancy and Noah came into the room. Jane crawled right to her uncle and cousin. "Hey Jane," Noah said as he picked up the little girl. Noah adored his niece.

"Good morning, Noah," Therese greeted. "How has everything been going for you?"

"Everything is fine. Even my big brother is doing well, serving his time for what he did," Noah said.

Ethan had pled guilty at his arraignment hearing and had been sentenced to five years in the Maine State Penitentiary. Gwen and Beth had also pled guilty. Both women got sentences of 25 to life with eligibility for parole, while Rebecca had pled not guilty and was awaiting her trial.

"I'm glad. I'm glad that he's doing so well. I sent him one of EM's drawings last week," Therese said.

"He loved it. He hopes that you will bring them for visits at the pen," Noah said.

"Maybe EM. Jane is too young to go to a place like that. I don't want her traumatized by going into the state pen. EM is more understanding since he is older," she said.

"Ethan knows that. But he said he wants EM to come with you every week or so to visit," Noah said.

"Tell him that is too much. We will come once every two weeks," Therese said.

"I think he will be ok with that," Noah said.

"He'd better be. He has to remember I have custody now. And he is in prison and can't go up against the power of the Cranes," Therese said with determination.

The four of them got busy then, looking through Alistair's many disks, sifting through so many in order to find out what secret Whitney could be keeping from Fox.

As the day went on, Therese, Fancy, and Fox spent time looking through Alistair's DVDs, looking for the secret Whitney was keeping them busy, while Noah entertained little Jane.

Lunchtime came and the four of them headed out for lunch with Jane and little Ethan in tow.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-one

After lunch, Therese, Noah, Fancy, and Fox returned to the house. Therese checked the mail and saw a letter addressed to her coming from the state pen, written by Gwen.

Therese was shocked. She didn't expect to get any letters from her former rival. But as they all went into the living room and saw down, Therese scanned the letter, then began to read, never imagining that Gwen would ever apologize for how she had treated the Crane heiress. But Gwen offered a rare insight to her life in prison and some of the realizations she had made before she had pled guilty and some she had gained from her fellow inmates.

_Dear Therese,_

_I know, you must be shocked. You never expected me to write to you during my incarceration, but I needed to get a few things off my chest before I can get on with my life. The counseling that they made a part of my sentence(and Beth's) has helped me to understand several things._

_In the beginning, when we first met, we were friends. Good friends, in fact. It shouldn't have been such a shock for me to find out that you had an interest in Ethan. But that was something we never discussed. At least until I asked you to help Ethan plan our wedding. It was during that time that Ethan fell in love with you and I couldn't see it, at least until the motorcycle accident. He brought you back with his love for you. It took me to now to realize just how much you loved him and he loved you. You were willing to give up your life for his happiness and you nearly did it three times. I would never have done that._

_As time moved on, I held on to the dreams my mother had implanted in my head, about marrying Ethan and ruling the Crane family. And then, you found out the truth, that Ethan was not a Crane. That's why you were so determined to leave, to secure Ethan's happiness, but he chased after you. You returned his love with all your heart. Your love for each other is honest and true. I should've never stood in your way._

_My mother can't believe what I have written here, but I know I can start anew. They gave me quite the sweet deal for my cooperation in testifying against my mother. Six years in jail, six years probation. I accepted because I know in a way what you felt for Ethan. I feel it for Hank. That's right. I spent one week in my cell and lo and behold, Hank Bennett shows up, quite literally out of the blue. I never expected him to show up, but there he was, as handsome as ever and his and my buried feelings came to the surface. I love him and I always have. I was just hiding it behind the façade of my love for Ethan and behind my mother's rationalizations._

_Hank and I have begun to discuss marriage, so maybe I'll get the family I've always wanted. I know we will have to adopt, but it will be worth it._

_Therese, please accept my humblest apologies and understand that things have now changed. I welcome the chance to restore the friendship we once had. I will understand if there is no chance of it._

_Sincerely,_

_Gwen_

Therese smiled as she folded up the letter. She understood and welcomed the friendship that they once had back into her life. She quickly set it down and decided to get to work on finding Whitney's secret.


End file.
